Guardrail assembly

ABSTRACT

A guardrail assembly for securing to a rail of a track has a plurality of post forming means and one or more rail means supported by the plurality of post forming means, each post forming means including locking means slidably insertable under the rail, clamping means adapted to engage against a first side portion of the rail and to be moved between a first position, where the locking means is slidably removable from under the rail, and a second position, where the locking means locks the clamping means to the rail, upright post means, and spacing means connected between the clamping means and the upright post means for locating the upright post means sufficiently remote of the rail to prevent a rail worker encroaching dangerously close to the rail.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a 371 of PCT/AU02/01415, filed on Oct. 16, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a guardrail assembly for preventing railworkers encroaching dangerously close to railway tracks which are inuse.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many lives have been lost throughout the world as a result of railworkers being hit by oncoming trains. This is particularly the case forrail maintenance crews working on one railway track, whilst an adjacenttrack is still in use.

In some countries, before work can proceed on one track, a safetybarrier must be erected between it and any adjacent track which is inuse. Normally, the safety barrier is secured or clamped to the base ofthe track which is in use and provides a vertical barrier about 1.2 m to1.8 m from that track.

Such known safety barriers are clamped to the track base and assembledin a time consuming and complicated manner. Moving parts on existingclamping mechanisms for such barriers allow gravel to penetrate andinterfere with the working of the clamping mechanism, thereby renderingsuch barriers ineffective. Furthermore, existing clamping mechanismsrequire that a large amount of gravel be dug from around the track baseto create sufficient room for the clamping mechanism to be inserted andattached.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide aguardrail assembly that is quick and easy to install and which avoidsthe aforementioned specific problems associated with installation of thesafety barriers of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a guardrail assembly forsecuring to a rail of a track, comprising:

(a) a plurality of post forming means, each post forming meansincluding:

-   -   (i) locking means slidably insertable under the rail,    -   (ii) clamping means adapted to engage against a first side        portion of the rail and to be moved between a first position,        where the locking means is slidably removable from under the        rail, and a second position, where the locking means locks the        clamping means to the rail,    -   (iii) upright post means, and    -   (iv) spacing means connected between the clamping means and the        upright post means for locating the upright post means        sufficiently remote of the rail to prevent a rail worker        encroaching dangerously close to the rail, and

(b) one or more rail means supported by the plurality of post formingmeans.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a post forming means and a pair of rail meansof a guardrail assembly according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention secured to a rail of a track,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the post forming means shown inFIG. 1 illustrating the locking means inserted under the rail and theclamping means in its first position,

FIG. 3 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2 but in which the clamping meansis in its second position where the locking means has locked theclamping means to the rail, and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the portion of the post forming means and railshown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The guardrail assembly comprises a plurality of post forming means 10,each post forming means 10 including a locking means 12 connected to theunderside of a clamping means 14 which is, in turn, connected via aspacing means 15 to an upright post means 16.

The locking means 12 has a locating arm 18, at one end of which is arail locating lug 20 and at the other end of which is an anti-tiltsupport arm 22. The locating arm 18 is slidably inserted under a singlerail 24 of a track that is in use so that the lug 20 is located on theopposite side of the rail 24 to the clamping means 14 and abuts upwardlyagainst the base of the rail 24.

The clamping means 14 has a top plate 26 which is overlaid on a rubberspacer 28 which, in turn, is overlaid on a circular bottom plate 30.There is a bolt 32 that passes through superimposed holes formed in thetop plate 26, spacer 28, and bottom plate 30, and fastens them tightlytogether with a nut 34. The hole through the circular bottom plate 30 islocated at its center. There is an adjustment slot 36 formed through thetop plate 26 which receives an adjustment screw 38 therethrough forenabling the assembly to accommodate varying rail widths. The top plate26 has an upturned corner 40 nearest the rail 24 which creates anenlarged opening for receiving the base part 64 of the rail 24 betweenthe locating arm 18 and the top plate 26. The rubber spacer 28 serves tomaintain grip between the top and bottom plates 26,30 and to reduceadverse vibrational effects on the assembly whenever a train or the liketravels over the rail 24.

The spacing means 15 has a horizontal post 42 secured to the top plate26. A strengthening block 44 is welded over adjoining parts of thehorizontal post 42 and top plate 26. The horizontal post 42 is formed ofa tubular outer arm 45 nearest the top plate 26 and a tubular inner arm46 nearest an upright vertical post 48 of the upright post means 16, theinner arm 46 being telescopically movable through the outer arm 45 so asto adjust the length of the horizontal post 42. The desired length ofthe post 42 is maintained by a cap head bolt 50 (with a hexagonal key)that is screwed through superimposed holes formed in abutting uppersurfaces of the outer and inner arms 45, 46. The resulting length of thehorizontal post 42 should be sufficient to provide enough spatialseparation between workers and the rail 24 of a track to avoid workersencroaching dangerously close to the track. The inner arm 46 isconnected to the upright post 48 by a hollow T-joint 52. The horizontalpost 42 may have its position adjusted along the upright post 48 by thetightening of a socket head screw 54.

The upright post 48 of the upright post means 16 has a pair ofvertically spaced apart hook members 56,58 fixed thereto. Each of thehook members 56,58 supports thereon a length of safety rail 60,62respectively, which safety rail is secured firmly against the uprightpost 48 by a tamper proof screw member or the like fitted through theupright portion of the hook member. A self tapping screw or a pin isfitted to the post 48 just above each of the so secured safety rails toprevent theft of the safety rails 60,62. The height of the upright post48 may be about 1.2 m depending on the requirements of the user.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the locating arm 18 extends in a longitudinaldirection slightly away from the longitudinal axis of the horizontalpost 42.

In order to clamp the post forming means 10 to the rail 24, the userfirstly pushes (with relative ease) the locking means 12 under the rail24 in a perpendicular direction to the rail 24, so that the lug 20emerges upwardly at the other side of the rail, as shown in FIG. 2. Aminimum amount of gravel is relocated as a result of this process giventhe thin and elongated nature of the locking means 12. The horizontalpost 42 is then moved in the left to right sideways direction, as shownby arrow A in FIG. 3, so that the circumferential edge of the bottomplate 30 rides along the outermost edge of the base part 64 of the rail24, until the base part 64 of the rail 24 is wedged tightly into theopening created between the upturned corner 40 of the top plate 26 andthe locating arm 18. At this point the locating arm 18 and the supportarm 22 have more firmly relocated under and adjacent the rail, the lug20 more firmly abuts against the base of the rail, and the horizontalpost 42 extends in a substantially perpendicular direction to the rail24. The resulting location of the support arm 22 prevents any tendencyfor tilting of the clamping means 14 with respect to the rail 24. Duringthis operation, the upright post 48 may or may not be connected to thehorizontal post 42.

The operator then clamps a second post forming means to the rail 24 at aselected distance from where the first post forming means 10 is clampedto the rail. The second post forming means is, however, so formed that,instead of being movable from left to right (as is the first postforming means 10), it is movable from right to left in order to clamp itto the rail 24. Every second post forming means 10 is movable from rightto left, whereas each intervening post forming means 10 is movable fromleft to right, thus creating a system where, once the safety rails 60,62are secured to any three adjacent upright posts 48 in the mannermentioned earlier, if the intermediate post 48 has sideways pressureapplied to it, it will be prevented from sideways movement off theground by its two immediately opposed upright posts which are notmovable in the same sideways direction.

The materials from which the various components of the guardrailassembly can be made will vary depending upon the requirements of theusers and the nature of the power supply to the trains or the liketravelling upon the rail. Where there are overhead power lines, thesafety rails 60, 62 are preferably made from a non-conductive material,such as a polycarbonate, fiberglass or special purpose plastic, whereasthe upright posts 48, horizontal posts 42, top and bottom plates 26, 30,and locking means 12 may be made from aluminum or steel. All steelcomponents are preferably zinc plated to avoid corrosion. Where power issupplied in between the rails of a track, there should be insulationbetween the clamping means 14 of the assembly and the upright posts 48provided, say, by having the horizontal posts 42 made of apolycarbonate, fiberglass or special purpose plastic. Both the lockingmeans 12 and the clamping means 14 may also be made of a non-conductivematerial wherein they are connected by a molding process.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description of the guardrailassembly that such an assembly is quick and easy to install, and that itprovides a less troublesome clamping mechanism than similar safetybarriers of the prior art.

Various modifications may be made in details of design and constructionwithout departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

1. A guardrail assembly for securing to a rail of a track, with the railhaving a base with an outermost edge, the guardrail assembly comprising:(a) a plurality of post forming means, each post forming meansincluding: (i) locking means slidably insertable under the rail, thelocking means including: a locating arm that remains located under therail after insertion of the locking means thereunder; (ii) a top platehaving an upturned corner portion, with the top plate and the upturnedcorner portion cooperating with the locking means to define an openingbetween the top plate and the locating arm, with the opening forreceiving therebetween a first side portion of the rail; (iii) a bottomplate separate and independent from the top plate and having asubstantially circular shape with a circumferential edge, with thebottom plate being rotatable with the circumferential edge riding alongthe outermost edge of the base of the rail until the base of the rail iswedged tightly into the opening; wherein the top and bottom plates areadapted to engage against the first side portion of the rail and to bemoved between a first position, where the locking means is slidablyremovable from under the rail, and a second position, where the lockingmeans locks the top and bottom plates to the rail; wherein movement ofthe top and bottom plates to the second position causes the first sideportion of the rail to be wedged tightly into the opening; and (iv) aspacer overlying the bottom plate to separate the bottom plate from thetop plate; (v) upright post means, and (vi) spacing means connectedbetween the assembly of the top and bottom plates and the upright postmeans for locating the upright post means sufficiently remote of therail to prevent a rail worker encroaching dangerously close to the rail,and (b) one or more rail means supported by the plurality of postforming means; wherein the locking means of each of the plurality ofpost forming means includes: a rail locating lug at a first end thereof;and a support arm at a second opposite end thereof nearest the assemblyof the top and bottom plates, wherein the assembly of the top and bottomplates is moved from the first position to the second position, therebycausing the rail locating lug to firmly abut against a second sideportion of the rail opposite the first side portion, and thereby causingthe support arm to be firmly located under the rail; and wherein thebottom plate is rotated with the circumferential edge riding along theoutermost edge of the base of the rail until the base of the rail iswedged tightly into the opening, thereby maintaining the support arm tobe firmly located under the rail to prevent tilting.
 2. The guardrailassembly of claim 1 wherein the rail locating lug is disposed at thefirst end furthest from the top and bottom plates; and wherein thelocating arm is intermediate the first and second ends.
 3. The guardrailassembly of claim 1 wherein the spacing means is telescopicallyextendable for adjustment of its length.
 4. The guardrail assembly ofclaim 1 further comprising means for adjustment to adjust the top andbottom plates to suit varying widths of the rail.
 5. The guardrailassembly of claim 1 wherein the spacer is composed of rubber.